KUALA LUMPUR: The National International Health Regulations (IHR) Authority that is expected to be formed this year should comprise experts and representatives from different ministries and non-government agencies.
Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy chief executive officer Azrul Mohd Khalib said agencies such as the National Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre (CPRC) and Welfare Department, should be included in the body.
This, he said, would improve inter-ministerial and multi-sectoral collaboration and coordination during a response, both within the country and with other countries.
"We need an agency which combines the best people in public health and social care expertise and experience, takes the lead, and is able to marshall the resources of the government, non-government, academia, and private sector to respond to future threats such as another public health threat.
"Learning from the many insights and revelations due to the Covid-19 crisis in health systems, the IHR amendments promise to help speed up or expedite detection of health threats such as infectious diseases, their verification, alerts, and actions," he told the New Straits Times.
Azrul was commenting on the statement by Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad that the National IHR Authority would be formed this year.
This was following the amendments to the IHR, where World Health Organisation members, during the World Health Assembly, had agreed to, among others, establish their respective national IHR authority.
The amendments, said Azrul, would see improvements in information-sharing about outbreaks, and action to ensure that countries have access to health products to contain outbreaks.
He said it provides for the possibility of international funding to ensure that access and that countries are not left behind during a pandemic.
"It was important for Malaysia to be part of the world community which approved these amendments which would allow for it to be part of the global effort to stop outbreaks and protect people, not only in our country but around the world."
Azrul said Malaysia has been fortunate so far, as far as pandemic management is concerned.
During the Covid-19 crisis, as an upper middle-income country, it had the funding, resources and manpower to secure access to much-needed personal protective equipment (PPE), medical consumables, such as syringes, gloves and diagnostic kits, and most importantly, ventilators and vaccines.
"In the next pandemic, we might not be as fortunate and we might need to access additional resources in the future.
"We need to also invest in disease outbreak preparedness and resilience measures, including training, retention and recruitment of healthcare professionals."